Apparatus for compressing and exploding gaseous fuel mixtures



May 18, 1954 .H. c; DUNNING 2,678,534 APPARATUS FORCOMPRESSING AND EXPLODING Origixial Filed Aug. 3, 1950 GASEOUS FUEL MIXTURES 4 Sheets-Shut 1 6446025 roe nqv/rozp INVENTOR Ez riy 280122 in ATTORNEY M y 8. 1954 H. c. DUNNlNG 2,678,534 APPARATUS FOR COMPRESSING AND EXPLODING r 'GASEOUS FUEL MIXTURES Original Filed Aug. 3. 1950' 1 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 ENTOR" Harry 62:02:: in?

ATTORNEY y 3,1954 H. c. DUNNING 2,678,534

APPARATUS FOR COMPRESSING AND EXPLODING GASEOUS FUEL MIXTURES Original FiledAug. 3, 1950v 4 Sheets-Sheet 3 FIG. 5.

INVENTOR Harry 6. fiunnzny BY 032M ATTORNEY y '8, 1954 H. c. DUNNING APPARATUS FOR COHPRESSING AND Exnomus GASEOUS FUEL mxrumss Original Filed Aug. :5. 1950 v 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 FlqL.

1N VENTOR ATTORNEY Patented May 18, 1954 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE,

APPARATUS FOR COMPRESSING AND, EX- PLOD ING GASEOUS MIXTURES Harry 0. Dunning, Columbus, Ohio 6. Claims. 1

This invention relates to an improved combustion products generator, particularly a generator in which a pressure fluid is developed by the compression, burning and forced expulsion of successive charges of a combustible fuel mixture delivered to and removed from internal cylinders of the generator.

An object of the invention is to provide an improved generator for the production of products of combustion in which vaporized fuels are compressed in the cylinders of the generator by piston action, the latter being produced through application of an extraneous source of power to the generator.

Another object of the invention is to provide a combustion products generator having an operating shaft driven by an extraneous source of power, and wherein the generator around said shaft is provided with banks of fuel-compressing and burning cylinders, the latter being equipped with sliding pistons driven by said shaft.

A further object of the invention is to provide a generator of this character in which the sliding pistons are united with an associated power shaft in a manner offering thrust resistance to the movement of cylinder pistons in response to the expansive energy of fuel gases burned in said cylinders.

Additional objects of the invention are: to provide a pressure generator in which burning fuel gases are forced by piston action, and their autogencus pressure, from the cylinders of the generator through confined outlet passages, and wherein, through operation of generator-actuated pump means, water, or other readily vaporizable fluid, is injected in regulated amounts into the burning fuel gases while the latter are traveling through said passages, forming an elastic pressure fluid; to provide an automatically controlled power-generating system of the nature specified in which an internal combustion type of pressure generator is employed to establish a body of such a pressure fluid in a confined reservoir means, and to provide, generally, a power system which constitutes an improvement upon prior systems of a related character hitherto provided in the art.

For a further understanding of the invention, reference is to be had to the following descrip tion and the accompanying drawing, wherein:

Fig. 1 is a side elevational view, with parts broken away and shown in vertical section, of a combustion products generator formed in accordance with the present invention;

Fig. 2 is a vertical sectional view taken through th generator;

Fig. 3 is a horizontal sectional view on the plane indicated by the line 33 of Fig. 2;

Fig. 4 is a similar View on the line 4-4 of Fig 2;

Fig. 5 is a diagrammatic view of the system in which the generator is employed.

This application is a division of my prior ap-, plication, Serial No. 177,454, filed August 3, 1950, and entitled Power-Generating System, now abandoned.

In said prior application, and as shown in Fig. 5, power-generating andutilizing systems are set forth involving a combustion products generator A by which vaporized fuel is successively drawn into, compressed and ignited in the internal cylinders of the generator. The burning gases are then forcibly expelled from the cylinders of the generator by the operation of power-driven piston means which are driven independently of and in opposition to the energy created by the burning gases. In said system, these gases, immediately upon their discharge from the generator, have intermingled therewith regulated quantities of water, or other similar readily vaporizable liquid. The latter is adapted to be commingled with the gaseous burned or burning products of combustion and delivered to a pressure fluid accumulator or reservoir R. From this reservoir, the pressure fluid is withdrawn under regulated valve action and delivered to the cylinders of a radial fluid motor M to drive the power take-off shaft of the motor, means being provided for utilizing a part of this power to operate the combustion products generator.

The present application is concerned particularly with the construction of the combustion products generator and the means forming a component part thereof for introducing a vaporizable liquid into the highly heated products of combustion expelled from the cylinders of the generator. The latter is also referred to hereafter as a pressure-generating unit, and is indicated in its entirety by the reference character A in the drawings of this application.

As seen in Fig. 2, the pressure-generating unit A, in the form of the invention illustrated, comprises a casing embodying a base section I which. for present purposes, will be described as being disposed in an upright or vertical position, The base section includes an upper wall 2 provided with an annularly shouldered seat shown at 3. Positioned on this seat and held against lateral displacement thereon is the. annularly shouldered end 4' of an upper cylinder section 5, the latter being bolted or otherwise secured as at 6 to the base section I.

The cylinder section includes an intermediate horizontally positioned wall 1. Also, the top of said section is formed with an opening 8 which is closed by a cover plate 9. This plate has its under surface formed contiguous to its outer periphery with an annularly shouldered seating surface I!) which projects into the opening 8 and is seated in connection with the upper wall of the cylinder section against transverse displacement, the cover plate being held in position by bolts or their equivalents I I, the threaded shanks of the latter being received within threaded openings appropriately formed in the top wall of the cylinder section.

As shown particularly in Figs. 2 and 3 of the drawings, the upper portion of the cylinder section is formed to include a plurality of radially disposed piston-receiving cylinders l2, in which are slidably mounted piston members i 3 by which initial or low-stage compression is imparted to fuel mixtures. Below this upper bank of cylinders, the cylinder section is formed with a lower bank of parallel radially extending'cylinders 54, each of which is preferably of a smaller diameter than any one of the complemental cylinders shown at l2, and in which cylinders i l high-stage compression and combustion of fuel gases take place. Complemental cylinders of the upper and lower banks are united by means of diagonally extending fluid passages !5, the latter providing for the transmission of a compressed and explosive fuel charge from the cylinders of the upper bank into the cylinders of the lower bank. Piston members {6 are provided in the lower cylinders l4 and are adapted on sliding movement to further compress the initially compressed explosive fuel charges led into the cylinders M from the cylinders 12 by way of the passages I 5. The passages l extend diagonally inwardly of the generator so that the bottom piston member 16 will be in a position to further compress the gaseous fuel charges when the latter enter the lower cylinders l & prior to combustion of the finally compressed fuels in said last-named cylinders.

The piston members l3 and iii are actuated by a vertically disposed externally driven shaft H. The lower end of this shaft is reduced and mounted in a thrust bearing l8 provided in connection with a bottom plate IS, the latter being removably bolted as at 20 to the lower edge of the base section I. Additionally, the upper wall 2 of the base section is formed with a bearing 2! which receives for rotation an intermediate portion of the driving shaft ll. Similarly, the intermediate wall I of the cylinder section is formed axially with a bearing 22 in which an intermediate portion of the drive shaft is rotatably received, and the upper end of the drive shaft is rotatably mounted in a bearing 23 provided in the removable cover plate 9. The base section 1 includes an internal lubricant-receiving chamber 24. Mounted in connection with the walls of this chamber is an externally threaded oil pump casing 25. This casing includes a longitudinally extending bore in which is mounted for reciprocation a sleeve 26, the latter having an open outer end and a closed inner end. A coil spring 21 is positioned in the sleeve 26, so that one end of the spring presses against the closed inner end of said sleeve while the other end of said spring engages with the outer end of the pump casing 25. A pipe line 28 enters the outer end of the casing 25 to conduct lubricant to various points of the apparatus employed in the generator and other system parts requiring forced lubrication.

The closed inner end of the sleeve 26 includes a ball 29 which engages with the periphery of an eccentric 38 fixed to the lower end of the drive shaft il, so that as the latter is rotated, the fluid-displacing sleeve 26 of the oil pump will he reciprocated first in one direction by the action of the eccentric 3G and then in the other by the action of the spring 2'5. An inlet port 31 formed in the sleeve 26 registers with a similar port 32 provided in the casing when the sleeve 26 occupies its fullest inward position in response to the action of the spring 2?. Such port registration enables the lubricant to flow from the chamber 24 into the interior of the sleeve 2i; for

displacement through the outlet pipes 23 when the sleeve is forced outwardly by the action of the eccentric 38 against the resistance of the spring 21. a

Keyed to the shaft i! above the oil pump mechanism is a gear 33, the teeth of which mesh with a worm a l fixed on a shaft 3-5 journaled in connection with the base section 5 and driven by the operation of an associated engine or other extraneous source of power, thereby rotating the drive shaft 17.

To reciprocate the piston members it and it in a manner to compress and explode fuel gases and resist thrust of the exploded fuels, each of the piston members is provided with a piston rod 36. The outer end of'each of these rods is formed with a ball enlargement 3?, which is seated in a semi-circular socket provided in the head wall of each piston, each enlargement being retained in its complemental socket by a ring nut 38 having a frusto-conical bore formed to accommodate the nut to the throw of an as sociated piston rod.

One of the piston rods for each bank of piston members is formed at its inner end with a threaded extension 39 which is receivable Within a threaded bore provided in an eccentric strap 49, each of the latter being formed with a circular opening for the reception of an eccentric 4i keyed to the drive shaft [7, one of said eccentrics being provided for each bank of piston members. Each of the inner eccentric straps carries a surrounding outer strap 52, and each of the latter is provided with an internal opening 43 corresponding in shape to the outer configuration of the associated inner strap dd. 'Each of the outer straps 42 is provided circumferentially with sockets 44 in which are received for rocking movement the heads 45 of the piston rods 35, the latter being held in said sockets by means of vertical bolts or screws '55. The upper and lower ends of the bolts or screws 46 also serve to unite in connection with the eccentric structure upper and lower wear rings t? which are mounted on the top and bottom surfaces of the eccentric straps.

Thus, as the drive shaft 11 revolves, the cocentrics 4| rotate in unison therewith, causing the straps 40 and 42 to move in unison with said eccentrics and thereby likewise imparting reciprocating movement to the piston members 13 and l 6. The pattern of movement of the pivoted inner ends of the piston rods is flatly elliptic, as distinguished from the circular pattern of a conventional throw crank. The eccentrics 4| thus impart powerful compressive forces to the gaseous fuels introduced into the cylinders 12 and I4 and at the same time prevent the expansive energy produced by fuel combustion in the cylinders from rotating the drive shaft II.

The outer ends of the cylinder section carry removable heads 48 for the upper and lower banks of cylinders 12 andl3. These heads are held in association with the cylinder section by means of the bolts or screws indicated at 49. Each head has its upper end formed to include a vertical passage 50 which communicates with the lower branched ends of a carburetor manifold the latter leading to the fuel outlet of a standard carburetor employed in association with internal combustion engines. The lower end of each of the passages 50 is in open communication withthe horizontal chamber 52. Slidably positioned in this chamber is the stem 53 of a fuel inlet valve 54, the tapered head of the valve 54 being normally held in engagement with the seat 55 by a coil spring 55, the latter at one end being engaged with a stationary guide 57 for the stem 53 and the other end of the spring is engaged with a seating disk 58 mounted on each of the stems 53. Each chamber 52 is rendered accessible by a removable closure nut 59. By this construction, as the piston members l3 move inwardly toward the center of the drive shaft ll, suction forces are produced in the upper cylinders R2 of a magnitude sufiicient to unseat the valve 54 and thereby allow a vaporized fuel charge to be drawn into said upper cylinders.

During this operation, the diagonal passages l5 are closed by the operating positions of the lower piston members l5, said passages remaining closed as the upper piston members move outwardly in their respective cylinders to impart initial compression to the vaporized fuel charge drawn therein. When the piston members of the upper bank of cylinders reach their extreme outward positions of travel, the closed piston members iii are then moved inwardly so that the passage or passages l5 correlated therewith is or are uncovered by the lower piston members to admit of the forced input of compressed gases into the lower cylinder or cylinders [4. Following this operation, the lower piston or pistons I6 advance in an outward direction of travel to impart additional compression to the fuel gases. When compressed by the action of the pistons, the gases are exploded by means of the spark plugs indicated at 80, or if the compression is sufiiciently high by the heat of compression itself.

These highly compressed and high temperature gases are discharged from the lower cylinders l4 through horizontal discharge ports 6!, one of the latter being formed in each of the manifold heads or closure plates 48. The outer end of each of the ports 6| terminates in a seat which normally receives the tapered head of a poppet-type valve 62, the stem 83 of the latter being received for sliding movement in a packed bearing 64. Each of the valves 62 is normally maintained in contact with its associated seat by a coil spring 65, the latter being confined between the inner end of an adjusting screw 86 carried by an internally threaded thimble 61 and the outer end of the stem 63. Preferably, the stem immediately to the rear of the poppet head of each valve is provided with an annular groove which registers with a vertical passage 68 provided in each of the plates or heads 48. As shown in Fig. l, the lower endsof the passages 68 are connected by branches 69 with a trunk pipe line, shown at ID in Fig. 5, leading to the accumulator or reservoir Rfor the pressure fluid. The spring loading applied to each of the valves 62 is normally sufliciently high to maintain the valves closed, and the ports or passages 68 obstructed to fluid flow until predetermined fluid pressures are created in each of the cylinders 14, as by fuel combustion therein. Such predetermined pressures unseat the valves 62 and provide for the flow of the hot exploded gases thereby.

Another feature of the present invention resides in introducing a readily vaporizable liquid, such as water, in a controlled manner into the passage 58 in order that the liquid will be commingled with the hot exploded exhaust gases of the cylinders l4 and thereby vaporized while under pressure.

To effect such water introduction in controlled amounts into the exploded fuels, the upper end of the drive shaft [1 enters the casing ll of a water pump, the latter being mounted on and secured to the cover plate 9 of the cylinder section. Within the casing II, the power shaft I! has secured thereto an eccentric 12. The periphery of this eccentric engages with antifriction ball devices 13 carried by the inner ends of slidable pump pistons Hi, the latter being pressed in an inward direction by the coil springs shown at #5.

Threaded in openings formed in the casing H are tubular outer fittings 16 which carry water inlet and outlet connections H and i3, respectively. By the reciprocation of the piston 14, through the action of the shaft driven eccentric I2, water in regulated quantities is drawn into the pump cylinders 19 by way of the inlets H and forced from said cylinders through the outlets [8. Connected with the outlets 18 are pipes 811 each of which leads to a fitting 8| threaded into a nozzle 82 formed in connection with each of the heads or plates 48 and communicating with the passages 68 therein. Each of the nozzles 82 includes a bore 83 which is normally closed by a spring-pressed ball valve 84, the latter being normally seated but may be unseated in response to the pulsations of the water pump.

The generator unit develops energy by the explosion of vaporized fuel mixtures. In its operation, the upper bank of cylinders of the generator or compressor operate generally as a supercharger, compressing the vaporized or carburetted gases into the cylinders of the lower bank. Through the use of the eccentric drives for the piston members of these cylinders, it is possible to admit compressed fuel charges from the upper bank of cylinders into those of the lower bank without the use of valves.

When a compressed charge of gas has been admitted into one of the lower cylinders, the piston in this cylinder moves outwardly, closing its associated diagonal intake passage and compressing further the already compressed fuel gas delivered thereto from the upper cylinder. When the piston member in any one of the lower cylinders has traveled approximately one-half of its complete stroke, the dually compressed gas charge is ignited by the action of the spark plug Bli, or by fuel compression. The resultant increase of pressure created by the fuel explosion is caused to escape into the storage area. provided by the reservoir or accumulator R, positive operation in this regard being effected through the completion of the stroke of the lower piston member in an outward direction. The spring pressure on the balanced exhaust valve 62 is adjusted to retain the initial compression of the fuel charge plus the added compression prior to fuel combustion. Water is then introduced into the exhaust line through the passage 68 and due to the high temperature of the exhausting gases and the regulated amounts of water so introduced, the water will flash instantly into high pressure superheated steam. The pipe line 70 leading to the accumulator and the accumulator itself may have their outer walls provided with thermal insulation or lagging to minimize heat losses. Also, the line H3 may be provided with a check valve 85 providing for fluid flow therethrough in but one direction, namely, toward the accumulator. The drive shaft IT may be formed with an axial bore 86 which communicates with the oil pump 25, so that a lubricant advanced by the oil pump may be delivered to said bore under pressure and thence through ports or passages to the plain bearings provided at 2!, 22 and 23. Also, a portion of the oil is delivered to the eccentric employed in operating the water pump indicated generally at H. The upper end of the shaft ll drives the rotor, not shown, of an ignition commutator 9B, the latter being employed in supplying current under ignition potential to the spark plug 60 by way of the conductors indicated at 9|. It will be understood that fluid pressure admitted into the motor M drives the I shaft 93, and this shaft is coupled to the shaft of the compressor and combustion unit A. A starting motor 92 of any conventional type may be employed to impart initial rotation to the shaft 35 at the beginning of a cycle of operation.

While I have described my improved generator as being particularly .adapted for the formation of combustion products, it will be understood that the same may be employed in other capacities, such as that of a fluid pump or compressor.

This can be done by the mere omission of the introducing explosive gaseous fuels into saidcylinders for compression and ignition, movement of said pistons in response to the expansive energy of the exploded fuel in said cylinders being resisted by said shaft-driven eccentric means, restricted outlet means formed in connection with said cylinders and through which the highly heated gaseous products of combustion are forcibly expelled from said cylinders, and spring loaded valve means normally closing the passage means to confine the gaseous products of combustion in said cylinders until said products attain predetermined pressures upon combustion thereof.

2. A power generator comprising: a case having formed therein adjacent banks of radially disposed compression and combustion cylinders, the combustion cylinders being substantially smaller in diameter than the compression cylinders, a centrally journaled operating shaft rotataloly mounted in said case, pistons slidable in said cylinders, connecting means joining said shaft and pistons for effecting reciprocation of 'the latter in said'cylinders upon rotation of said shaft, means operative upon movement of the pistons in one direction in the compressing cylinders to draw therein vaporized fuel mixtures, means operative upon movement of said lastnamed pistons in an opposite direction to compress at least partially the fuel mixtures in said compression cylinders, port means for transferring said partially compressed fuel mixtures from the compression cylinders to the combustion cylinders to increase the compression of said fuel mixtures by piston action in said last-named cylinders, ignition means for exploding the gases compressed in said combustion cylinders, passage means leading exploded fuel gases from the combustion cylinders, and valve means situated in said last-named passage means and operative to maintain fuel gases in said combustion cylinders during final compression thereof until said gases attain a predetermined pressure following their combustion.

3. In a power-developing system, a generating unit for the evolvement of an elastic working fluid, said unit embodying a case having formed therein adjacent banks of radially disposed fuelcompressing and combustion cylinders, the fuel compressing cylinders possessing a substantially greater diameter than that of the combustion cylinders, a centrally journaled operating shaft rotatably mounted in said case, pistons slidable in said compressing cylinders and conforming with the diameters thereof, thrustresisting connecting means joining said shaft with said pistons for effecting reciprocation of the latter in said cylinders upon rotation of said shaft, means operative upon movement of the pistons in said fuel-compressing cylinders in one direction to draw therein a vaporized fuel mixture, means operative upon movement of said last-named pistons in an opposite direction to compress the fuel mixtures admitted into said compressing cylinders, port means for transferring said compressed fuel mixtures from the compressing cylinders to said combustion cylinders for additional compression and ignition, ignition means for exploding the compressed fuel gas in said combustion cylinders, passage means leading exploded fuel gases from the combustion cylinders, and valve means associated with said passage means for maintaining compressed fuel gases in said combustion cylinders until said gases attain a predetermined pressure and are exploded.

e. A generator for the evolvement of an elastic motive fluid, comprising: a casing having formed therein adjacent banks of radially disposed fuelcompressing and burning cylinders, the fuelcompressing cylinders possessing a substantially greater diameter than the fuel-burning cylinders, a centrally operating shaft rotatably supported in said casing, pistons slidable in said fuel compressing and burning cylinders, eccentrics mounted on said shaft, strap means surrounding said eccentrics and in which the eccentrics are rotatable, connecting rods having their inner ends pivotally united with said strap means and their outer ends with said pistons, means operative upon movement of the pistons in said fuel-compressing cylinders in one direction to draw therein a vaporized fuel mixture, means operative upon movement of said last-named pistons in an opposite direction to compress the fuel mixture, port means for transferring said fuel mixture from said compressing cylinders to said fuel-burning cylinders, ignition means for exploding gaseous fuel mixtures in said burning cylinders, passage means leading burning fuel gases from the burnmg cylinders, and normally closed valve means cooperative with said passage means for maintaining said fuel gases in said burning cylinders until said gases attain a predetermined pressure and are exploded by said ignition means.

5. A generator as specified in claim 4 and wherein the shaft thereof is driven by an extraneous source of power through worm gearing.

6. A motive fluid generator, as specified in claim 4, and wherein the port means employed in transferring compressed fuel mixtures from the primary compressing to the fuel-burning cylinders communicates with one end of each of the compression cylinders and with the fuel-burning cylinders at positions intermediate of the length of the latter, whereby to cause the pistons of the burning cylinders to further increase the com- 1':

pression of said fuel mixtures before combustion thereof takes place in said burning cylinders.

References Cited in the file of this patent Number 5 671,236 1,137,328 1,167,555 1,336,188 1,395,090 10 2,357,041 2,543,758

Number UNITED STATES PATENTS Name Date Renault Apr. 2, 1901 Jennings Apr, 27, 1915 Gray Jan. 11, 1916 Beaven Apr. 6, 1920 Carpenter H Oct. 25, 1921 Woolley Aug. 29, 1944 Bodine Mar. 6, 1951 FOREIGN PATENTS Country Date Germany July 5, 1927 France Apr, 15, 1925 France Jan, 21, 1933 Great Britain Mar. 30, 1912 

